EU Sanctions Alignment: Albania, Bosnia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine will align national rules with the EU’s expanded Belarus sanctions, targeting goods and tech that could boost Minsk’s military and security capabilities, plus limits tied to EU crypto-asset services. Cybersecurity & Research Theft: The US indictment alleges Iran-linked hackers from the Mabna Institute compromised about 8,000 academic accounts across 144 US universities and more worldwide, stealing over 31 terabytes of research and papers and attempting to extort HBO-linked material. AI Transparency Fight: Anthropic’s Claude is rolling out an imperceptible watermark meant to mark AI-written text; some users are canceling subscriptions over concerns it could follow content into client work. Health Research: A UC San Francisco trial reports habitual cannabis users saw about 9% fewer premature heartbeats on days they inhaled cannabis, adding nuance to cardiovascular risk questions. Montenegro Tech & Telecom: M:tel Montenegro secured 5G frequencies until 2043, a long-term boost for local connectivity. Digital Mobility: Volkswagen EV drivers in Europe gain Samsung Wallet Digital Key access for hands-free entry and starting on compatible Galaxy phones. Wildfire Response: The EU is sending cross-border firefighting aircraft, helicopters, crews and satellite mapping via rescEU to tackle severe fires across Belgium and Spain.